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Alicia Witt reveals cancer battle after deaths of her parents

By Karen Butler   |   June 2, 2022 at 6:26 AM
Alicia Witt says she has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer since her parents died in December. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI Alicia Witt attends the MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring singer and songwriter Carole King at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2014. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI Alicia Witt arrives on the red carpet at the "Danny Collins" New York premiere in 2015. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Alicia Witt arrives at the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring Bruce Springsteen in Los Angeles. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI Alicia Witt arrives for the premiere of "Australia" at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York in 2008. File Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/UPI

June 2 (UPI) -- Hallmark Channel actress Alicia Witt has announced on Instagram that she has been battling breast cancer.

"just a little over 2 months ago, i had my last round of chemical therapy prior to my mastectomy. my beloved, brilliant, collaborative, communicative doctor,@habibdoss at @tnoncology, was there to celebrate with us as i rang the bell!" WItt, 46, wrote Wednesday, alongside videos and photos of her in the hospital showing her celebrating the completion of her treatment.

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"Although we didn't yet know for absolute certain until after the mastectomy that the disease was completely healed from my left breast, this marked the end of my carboplatin/taxotere, + herceptin/perjeta (the latter two are immunotherapies which will continue, per protocol for HER2+, through the end of this year)."

Witt added that she wanted to keep her ordeal private "particularly given the horribly public tragedy that had happened in our family just as i was beginning my treatments."

Witt's parents Robert, 87, and Diane, 75, were found dead in their Massachusetts home last December, just days before Christmas. In February, authorities announced their cause of deaths as "probable cardiac dysrhythmia" due to the extreme cold weather.

The actress said at the time that she was close to her parents, but described them as "fiercely stubborn," explaining they were "not penniless" but often refused the help of others, even when they had no heat in their house.

Witt's credits include Lore, Orange Is the New Black, Nashville, Twin Peaks, Twin Peaks: The Return, The Walking Dead, Two Weeks Notice, 88 Minutes, Cybill, Mr. Holland's Opus and Dune. She also is well known for starring in numerous Hallmark Channel holiday movies.